Update: Eight-hour incident in south Red Deer ends with arrest

Red Deer RCMP are continuing their investigation into an eight-hour incident that resulted in a high-risk suspect being taken into custody on Thursday.

The incident began in the early afternoon when police determined that Quentin Lee Strawberry, 35, was in an apartment building near Red Deer Regional Hospital. Police then evacuated residents of the building, which was in the 5100 block of 37th Street.

Because Strawberry was wanted on outstanding warrants for armed robbery with a firearm, assault with a weapon and forcible confinement, RCMP assessed his arrest as having a high risk of danger to the public and to police officers.

When negotiations for Strawberry to surrender were not successful, the RCMP Emergency Response Team attended the scene. At 9:15 p.m. police officers entered the residence and Strawberry, along with a woman, were taken into custody without incident. Police have not provided any more information on the woman.

During the incident, the apartment building was surrounded with a major police presence, and the area was closed off and contained. Police asked the public to not endanger officers by revealing their positions on social media while the incident unfolded.

At about 9:45 p.m., Red Deer RCMP, and the Alberta Emergency Response Team, left the scene and residents were able to return to the apartment building .

Karen Mann, City of Red Deer Emergency Management Co-ordinator, said Friday that a city Transit bus was provided to take displaced residents of the apartment building to the Collicutt Centre. However, no one needed the service.

Mann said that in similar emergency evacuation situations, people usually go to family and friends first until they can return home. But there are processes in place to help people if they don’t have those options.